The boy's smile grew immensely, accompanied by cheers and excited claps from the crowd.
Unlike his friends, he didn't get to play, he didn't even bother to ask. Local spirituals didn't get permission.
Putting his hand on the tank, it was not long before the sea maiden was tagged.
The pearl gifted by the Sea Maiden gave off some light as it turned into a small ring with an encrusted ruby.
"Not for you." the Maiden said.
A girl from his group yelped and flushed red. Even Leo's cheeks were slightly flustered.
The crowd grew wild, taunting the boy and clapping; even Mathias was laughing and clapping.
Vero was confused, and for some reason, Samantha was looking at Mathias like he was a ghost.
"I'm not following" he complained, hoping someone would explain.
"Oh, right." Mathias answered "It's an Imperial custom to give a ring with a jewel to your lover, to signify commitment. So you see, Leo and that friend of his..." he didn't need to go into further detail.
Samantha asked interested "What is the local custom?"
Vero started thinking, trying to recall
"There's a bunch of stuff..." Mathias started answering.
"Killing any family that opposes..." Vero interrupted.
"Actively opposes, not everyone that just disagrees" Mathias corrected.
"Eating three times your weight..." Vero continued.
"Only if you hail from a specific island." Mathias corrected again
"Dancing for three days and nights naked..."
"That's not exactly right."
"Staging a coup..."
"Ok, you're taking things out of context!" Mathias scolded his brother. "The tradition differs from the situation, tribes, clans, and islands."
"But the equivalent of giving the ring is an elder publicly giving her blessing. All the other stuff Vero said are different stages of the process, and most won't apply generally.."
"So the maiden gave her blessing," Vero concluded, a little different from each tradition, but a decent fusion. Vero much preferred his own parents' process.
Mathias took a step towards the stall and bowed slightly to the old Sea Maiden.
"Maiden of the Sea, I present Miss Samantha of the Southern reefs, an agent of the Empire." Mathias was respectful, giving a slight bow. "And my brother Vero, the Riftdweller, of Jade Island."
Vero was all out of snacks, so he decided to step forward first, mimicking his brother's bow.
"Long time no see auntie." he smiled lightly.
"Good to see you again, Little Vero." The maiden gestured towards the water.
There were whispers from the crowd upon his presentation, as many rumors were confirmed.
Vero stepped towards the tank, pulling up his sleeve.
The maiden swam gracefully, her fins trailing behind her like a dress.
Vero observed her for a few moments, before slowly putting his hand on the surface of the water.
The fins gradually expanded, covering the entire maiden.
His hand rested atop the water for an entire minute, not a single ripple disturbed the water's surface as if nothing was swimming nor anything was standing on its surface.
***
A single ripple spread in the water.
Even with his maximum focus, Mathias barely saw his younger brother's movement.
His hand appeared firmly in the middle of the water with the Maiden around its grip.
The sea maiden struggled for a couple of seconds before Vero loosened his grip, and she swam freely. Glowing where he had held her.
There were a few wows and cheers from the crowd, but nothing out of the ordinary, as the sea maiden would directly lose the game many times, but Mathias knew better.
The Sea Maiden didn't allow this defeat, his brother bested her directly. Mathias wasn't confident in recreating such a feat.
He couldn't help but wonder about Vero's situation.
Just how strong had his little brother been before being injured? What lay inside the rift that could injure him like so?
Meanwhile, a single dirt-colored pearl floated to the surface, Vero grabbed it and watched it transform inside his hand.
Mathias watched Vero's excitement turn into disappointment as the pearl didn't retain its form and instead turned into a simple piece of cloth.
Mathias was already preparing to scold his brother due to his expression, but as if feeling his gaze, Vero looked at him and then turned to the old lady, bowing.
"Thank you for the gift Auntie... but can I get some candy as well?"
The Old maiden drew a mischievous smile and reached for her pocket where she took out a bunch of pearl candy.
"Take some for your brother too." She whispered loud enough for most to hear as Vero pocketed everything, and the crowd giggled.
Samantha looked dumbfounded at the situation, but it was normal for everyone else. Still, she stepped forward.
The Lady allowed her to play, and she approached.
Mathias wanted to learn more about her stay and her involvement with his brother. But he didn't want to sour the mood. He knew pushing his brother for information was counterproductive.
The last couple of weeks taught him that much. Vero didn't speak of the past, pressing the subject would only get him more silence.
So Mathias allowed his brother to share at his own pace. That much appeared to work, and it relieved him,... Regaining his brother's trust.
He could only worry about the challenges ahead.
A member of a royal bloodline resurfaces alongside a power strong enough to threaten human territories. He shows unprecedented spiritual capacity but is crippled.
Worst of all doesn't possess the answer to the mystery of the former king's, their father's, death.
All the information they could extract was that the king died a few months after entering the rift, somewhere in its depths alongside a horde of spirits.
Nevertheless, with his brother's presence, one thing was certain. Empire was displeased.
***
Samantha's hand slowly submerged in the water. It was pleasant, the same way she thought all the water in this region was, at least compared to home.
She felt nervous not for the crowd's nor the Viridian brother's stares, but for the sea maiden. She felt a slight oppression from her, and the knowledge that she was a shaper raised her guard to the limit next to this frail-looking lady.
She was dangerous, like still water hiding a strong current.